


Somewhere Out of The Blue

by rareredpearl



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Background Relationships, M/M, Oral Sex, Past Relationship(s), Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:35:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26393509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rareredpearl/pseuds/rareredpearl
Summary: After 5 years, and retreating from Draco after an unexpected wedding announcement, Harry is back. Wanting to stay hidden, and have to have the confrontation that he has been avoiding, but that doesn't seem possible with the noses of a little boy, and two Black sisters being stuck into the business that doesn't belong to them. So proceeds a story of forgiveness, overcoming obstacles, and proof that there is a possibility to forgive and move on from the mistakes of the past. ***Note this is will eventually become part of a series, there is a side story of Fred/Blaise called Ni Tu Ni Yo, and I will also be writing a prequal to this, outlining the relationship of Draco/Harry, prior to this story.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Fred Weasley/Blaise Zabini
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters or ideas, the belong to J.K.Rowling. While the plot of this story is of my mind, the lyrics and title of Somewhere Out Of The Blue belong to Elton John and his affiliated companies

Chapter 1

The crowded streets of Diagon Alley were always terrible. _Bloody hell, I hate going out, but it can’t be helped I suppose. I need to get this book for reference, and to speak with Burgok at Gringotts._ As Harry made his way down the cobbled streets of the wizarding part of London, he thought about the past few months. He had just got back from the far east, where he had headed a joint project with the Chinese wizarding government. They had discovered some interesting artifacts that seemed to be dated around the time of the Hogwarts founders.

Though to be honest Harry hadn’t been back in England for more than a week or so at a time since he had graduated from Hogwarts. After which had decided that he had had enough of fighting and taking down dark witches, wizards and criminals to thoroughly last him several lifetimes he had to come up with a plan b. He had been staying with Bill and Fleur Weasley at Shell Cottage, trying to avoid the press and the notoriety that came with being Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived. Bill had suggested that with his excellent background and Outstanding on his Defense Against the Dark Arts NEWTS, he should look into getting a job with Gringotts as a Curse-Breaker. It would be work that would take him out of the country and the limelight that he so despised. Once there however he realized that his love wouldn’t be the excitement of Curse breaking but the relaxing unearthing of artifacts and the history behind them. He had met some amazing people along the way and reunited with a few that he would have rather forgotten existed.

As Harry passed Florish and Blotts, Harry decided to take care of his business at Gringotts first before going and retrieving his book that he had ordered the week before. Maybe after he would go to Florean Fortescue’s and get a sundae and sit out on the terrace and spend some time reading his book. It was a beautiful early May morning and he knew he would enjoy the nice weather while it was available. He had spent so much time in the past few months in the bitter cold of Northern China that the change in climate had been most welcome.

Taking care of his business in the Alley didn’t take as long as he had expected and it wasn’t quite lunchtime, so Harry decided on a leisurely stroll to pass the time until after the lunch rush, thinking of stopping in Fred and George’s shoppe and catching up. It had been quite some time since he had seen most of the Weasley’s because of traveling.

Crossing the Alley, Harry slipped into the shop as the bell jingled above the door.

“Harry! How’s it going, mate? When did you get back from Asia? Ron and Hermione haven’t mentioned it,” exclaimed Fred from in front of a large display of Skiving Snackboxes.

“Hi Fred, I just got back about a week ago, but to be honest I slept the first couple of days I got back because of the time difference and trying to recalibrate my internal time clock. I was just in the Alley to go deal with some business with the Goblins and to get a book that I needed for my research and I decided to drop by while I waited for the crowds to calm and the lunch breaks to end.”

“So, what you’re really telling us here Harry is that you’re avoiding the press again,” joked George who was coming around the counter to join them in the middle of the shop.

Harry looked at the twins with a sheepish guilty cringe. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“That’s bull shit and you know it, Potter,” grinned Fred. “So how was it? Did you enjoy the dig?”

“I did it was truly a pleasure. You know I went to Egypt to become a Curse-Breaker but I ended up enjoying excavation and magical archeology so much more. The ministry is in talks with the Central American governments to start on an excavation of some of the ruins from the ancient civilizations from the areas. They believe that they are connected to ancient wizarding cultures that the religious leaders of the civilizations were really Seers, that could prophesize. Which is why I had to order this book from Florish and Blotts.”

“Careful Harry- “

“You’re gonna- “

“End up with more books- “

“than our lovely sister-in-law.”

“I don’t know about that; you know I borrow a lot of books from Hermione and the Hogwarts library because of Neville’s standing invitation of use of it.”

“We’re not convinced,” said the twins at the same time.

“Oh, shove off you prats,” Harry muttered. “So, what have you two been up to? Any one got your knickers in a twist?”

“Oh, I am so glad you asked our emboldened investor, Fred here has a crush and he’s a snake too,” grinned George. “You know that Angelina and I are basically an old married couple by now.”

“Oh! Anyone I might know, Fred?” asked Harry of the other man, who had turned a shade of red similar to his hair.

“Oh! Yes, I think you do, he’s from your class in fact! Zabini is his last name.”

“As in Blaise Zabini?”

“Yep, the one and the same,” grinned George mischievously as Fred buried his face in his hands, horrified.

“Merlin, George shut up,” mumbled Fred through his fingers.

“You both have taken to many experiment backfires to the head. If I didn’t know any better, I would swear that Molly or Arthur dropped you as children. I really must ask them if you retained any head injury as a child,” laughed Harry, shaking his head in disbelief. “But seriously though, Blaise is alright. We talked a bit when we all went back for the make-up year and to take our exams.”

“So glad you approve little brother,” exclaimed George as he clapped and rubbed his hands together in a clearly puckish way.

“I hate you both,” grumbled Fred as Harry and George laughed. “I am never telling either of you prats anything, ever again.”

“Aw, Freddie don’t be like that! You know we tease you because we care. It’s the Weasley way!” jeered George.

“Seriously though Fred, I think that Zabini would be lucky to have you. Send him an owl, invite him for lunch or drinks after work. From what I understand he works at St. Mungo’s as a healer,” said Harry pensively. “Anyway, I best get back out there, I am going to go grab some Fortescue’s before I head home. See you guys, I’ll owl your parents about showing up to Sunday dinner.”

“See you later mate.”

As Harry walked out of Weasley Wizard Wheezes, he began thinking of Blaise Zabini and his connection with another Slytherin. _Don’t let yourself go there Potter. You have managed to not think about him for 5 years. He made his choice and you ultimately made yours. It’s better this way and you know it._ Making his way through the crowds of people, he was so caught up in his own pensive thoughts that he wasn’t watching where he was going, wandering aimlessly, not as interested in his ice cream and quiet afternoon as he had been just an hour prior. From across the street Harry heard an all too familiar voice.

“Come along Scorpius, we need to finish these errands so we can go visit with Grand-mère. We need to go to the apothecary and Scrivencraft’s to get ink.”

There he was, after all this time. A little boy no older than four sitting on a hip, while carrying a decent number of bags and packages in his other arm not occupied by the little blonde boy that could have been his twin at that age. The similarities were honestly uncanny. There he was, the man that had left him high and dry in a desert in the middle of Egypt with nothing but a broken heart and memories that would never go away, even with all of Harry’s running away from them. It was Draco Bloody Malfoy, and Harry froze, feeling as if he were stuck in quick sand. _Honestly Potter, quicksand may be preferential,_ thought a voice that sounded suspiciously like the haughty and sneering tones of his former school nemesis. And just like that Draco Malfoy looked up, finally taking in his surroundings, spotting the messy haired brunette from across the street less than fifteen meters away. Eyes of liquid mercury met those of emerald and softened. 

_“Don’t look at me like that,” thought both men. “I can’t handle this. Just look away and walk. Don’t acknowledge him. You can do this.”_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters or ideas, the belong to J.K.Rowling. While the plot of this story is of my mind, the lyrics and title of Somewhere Out of The Blue belong to Elton John and his affiliated companies

****

Chapter 2

“Fuck me,” Harry muttered under his breath. _Maybe it was a trick of the light or something, he could’ve not seen me at all. I need to get out of here._

With a quick and panicked decision Harry apparated quickly back to Grimmauld Place with little thought of the possibility of splinching himself. Arriving in the entrance hall of Number 12, Harry quickly threw his purchase in the chair of the living room and went to the bar against the fireplace wall and poured himself a hefty amount of firewhiskey in a tumbler, gulping it down in quick succession. Harry knew that whenever he came back to England there always was a chance of running into his former... _I don’t even know what we were. Friends? No, we weren’t that or else Malfoy wouldn’t have just left. Lovers? I guess that is a possibility but we were so much more than that. Or at least I thought so. He had so many obligations and expectations. Even with Lucius gone, he managed to keep such a tight hold on his son. A Malfoy puts the family and its name above all else damn everyone and everything._

Harry set his glass down onto the silver tray on the bar and turned and walked upstairs to take his second shower of the day. _If nothing else I can drown myself in my sorrow,_ he thought darkly as he ascended the stairs.

*HPDM

Draco Malfoy wasn’t usually one to let himself be caught off guard. He had survived a war with nothing but his wits, intelligence and a lot of self-preservation. He had the uncanny ability to have one eye on what was happening around him. So, when he was caught unaware by the man across the street with untidy black hair and soulful green eyes, Draco was perturbed to say the least. _What is he doing here? I thought he was abroad._ Draco knew that Harry Potter had been MIA for the past almost 7 years since graduation. Eighteen months of that had been spent in Egypt; together. However, Draco didn’t let himself think of those times. Thinking of those months in the hot Egyptian desert always caused a lump to form in Draco’s throat. And seeing the man here in the middle of Diagon Alley on an unimportant Tuesday afternoon was no different, just more. Suddenly the green eyes that had been soft turned panicked. The man looking very much like the doe that has been caught by a hunter and knows that she is doomed for death. And with a sudden far away snap of apparition, he was gone. Again.

 _“Well you bloody fool, it’s really your own fault. What did you expect? That you would be greeted and welcomed after five miserable years,”_ thought Draco, inner voice sounding very much like the biting voice of the man who had just disappeared. _“Fuck it, I can’t get anything else done today, I will come back in the next day or so.”_

“Scorpius, I think that’s all for today. Are you ready to go see Grand-mere and Aunt Dromeda?” he asked focusing on the little boy on his hip that had been his world the past four years since his mother, Astoria, had succumbed to the blood curse that had weakened her body so during pregnancy.

“YAAAY, but Papa, I thought we had to go to the apothecawy and to get your ink.” Said the little boy that looked up at him with big deep blue eyes, one of the few features that he had gained from his mother.

“I do but, I have decided that Papa is tired and would like to take you to visit with Grand-mere and Aunt Dromeda and your cousin Teddy, while Papa has a little time to finish up some work. Now hold on tightly, I don’t want to lose you.”

“Otay, Papa,” said Scorpius as his tiny chubby hands gripped onto Draco’s grey button-down shirt.

The father and son duo reappeared in front of the towering wrought iron gates of Malfoy Manor, the wards recognizing their patriarchic head of household and let him pass through without much more than the cold chill that was felt as they passed through the invisible barriers around the property. Walking up to the door he opened it, calling as he entered, “Twinkle?”

A young female house elf dressed in a frilly pink dress with a white apron with lace border appeared in front of him. “Yes, Master Draco! How can I serve you?”

“Oh, nothing other than telling me where my mother is.”

“She’s being in the garden with your Aunt and cousin. Would you like me to bring fresh tea?”

“That would be lovely. Would you also get some pumpkin juice for Scorpius in one of his special cups?”

“Right away, Master Draco,” replied the little elf, and with a snap of her fingers she disappeared.

Draco made his way through the Formal living room and Breakfast room when he heard the laughter coming from outside. He set his packages on the large oak table, reminding himself to ask Twinkle to take them back to his London flat. He set the already squirming Scorpius, who was in a hurry to go greet his grand-mere, aunt and playmate. Reaching the two regal looking women, there was an exclamation of delight from them and warm hugs and kisses were exchanged between the little bundle of excitement and the two women.

“Hello, Mother, Aunt Andromeda, how are you two this lovely day?” asked Draco as he rounded their chairs exchanging kisses on the cheeks and light side hugs with the two women.

“Oh, we are just lovely Draco. Andy and I were just discussing the apparent return of Harry Potter. He apparently has come back to England while he is awaiting his next assignment.”

Draco cast his eyes down for a minute, trying to regain his mental equilibrium. He knew that his mother had some semblance of an idea as to what had happened while he was in Egypt, but to the extent of that knowledge he was unsure. He dearly loved his mother, if he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have put himself through what he had. However, Narcissa Malfoy nee Black was a woman that liked to put her nose where it had no business being.

“Yes, I caught a glimpse of him in Diagon Alley just a little while ago,” he replied in a way that he hoped didn’t give away how shaken up the encounter had really made him.

“Papa, can I go play with Teddy?” asked Scorpius.

“You may, but let me spell your clothes so you don’t get them dirty,” replied Draco as he took his wand out of its holder and cast an _Impervious_ , on the corduroy trousers and the blue button-down shirt and green plaid bowtie. While also transfiguring his loafer, style shoes into some athletic shoes. “Go on, Scorp.”

“Tank you, Papa,” called Scorpius as he ran off towards his cousin.

“Be careful!”

After staring after his son for a minute he turned back to the women, and took a seat at the table they had settled at. A pop sounded, announcing Twinkle’s arrival with fresh tea and an assortment of cakes and tea sandwiches, as well as Scorpius’ cup and an additional magically chilled carafe of pumpkin juice.

“Thank you Twinkle. We appreciate it. One last thing and you can go back to your embroidery for a bit, would you mind taking the packages that I deposited onto the Breakfast Room table to my flat. You don’t even need to put them away and just put them in my office.”

“Right away Master Draco,” came the squeaky reply from the female elf before she went back into the manor.

“So, Draco are we not going to address the proverbial Hippogriff in the room?” asked his mother with the subtly of said hippogriff in the middle of Muggle London.

“I would rather not. There really isn’t anything to discuss. I made my choice Mother. I left, without saying a word. Just to please Lucius, to uphold my responsibilities. To make sure that the Malfoy name lived on,” he replied while shaking his head, then pouring himself a cup of tea into the delicate bone china. “There isn’t anything left for me to say to him. Or at least anything that he would want to hear, not that I blame him in the slightest.”

“Draco dear, Harry is a very complicated man. He has had a difficult life, dealing with more than anyone his age should have. Both of you have. You both have the right to be happy. He has spent the last five years running. Running from the press, the expectations that the wizarding world has for him, expectations that he has for himself. And most of all he has been running from you. Now, a little birdy in the Ministry has told me that he is set to leave for Central America in two months. You have until then to make your case of him forgiving you, or at least be back in his better graces,” explained Andromeda.

“You two are the busiest body women that I have ever met. You could give Albus Dumbledore a run for his galleons. I don’t need your help. I need to be focusing on taking care of Scorpius. He takes precedence over everything.”

“Draco my Dragon, I know there wasn’t beyond a loving friendship between you and Astoria, and I will forever be grateful for her sacrifice to give us Scorpius, but you cannot live with this guilt for the rest of your life. You deserve to love and be loved. And so, does Scorpius. He loves you so much but he needs more. What is going to happen when he starts at Hogwarts?” argued his mother.

“Then I will worry about that when it happens. But Harry Potter is never going to see me as anyone other than the man who made his childhood miserable and then broke his heart.”

“You are so hard on yourself Draco. Harry is to blame as well. He didn’t fight for you, he took the coward’s way out and ran, and he’s been running ever since,” replied Andromeda.

“Well thank you for the pep talk Mother, but I must get back to London. I have some work that I must do. Is Scorpius okay to spend the rest of the day with you?”

“Of course, he has a bedroom here and he can just spend the night here,” replied Narcissa before looking over at Andromeda. “Would you and Teddy like to spend the night? Scorpius could probably use a playmate. And we can get up to mischief and drink the expensive wine and gossip like we used to as girls.”

“That does sound wonderful.”

“Well I will leave you two lovely ladies to it. If you need anything send Twinkle or a patronous. I love you both,” he said while rising from his seat and kissing each woman on the cheek and went to say good bye to his son before apparating away.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters or ideas, the belong to J.K.Rowling. While the plot of this story is of my mind, the lyrics and title of Somewhere Out of The Blue belong to Elton John and his affiliated companies

Chapter 3

On two different sides of London, two men sat in their offices, thinking about what used to be.

_Flashback 7 years ago, Cairo, Egypt_

_Harry looked up at the abandoned building, thinking that maybe he had gotten the address wrong. Completely forgetting that nothing was as it seemed when it comes to Magic, and that it was probably charmed and warded._

_“Potter?” exclaimed a voice from behind him._

_Harry whipped around and was confronted by his former nemesis, Draco Malfoy. “What are you doing here, Malfoy.”_

_“Me? What are you doing here Potter?” asked an incredulous Malfoy, ignoring the question and deflection._

_“I am here for the latest dig; I am hoping to train to be as a Curse-Breaker.”_

_“So, you just left England, left everyone behind and just decided to come to Egypt? You’re not here to spy on me are you,” asked Draco suspiciously, like it was the most obvious answer to why Harry could be in the same place as him._

_“I needed to get away. It’s very oppressive to be there right now. Everyone wanting a piece of Harry Potter like they’re entitled to it.”_

_“What about She-Weasley, surely you wouldn’t abandon the love of your life to go galivanting around without her, leaving her to twiddle her thumbs, pining for you. That’s cruel Potter,” sneered Draco._

_“Leave Ginny out of this, she’s perfectly happy playing with the Harpies, she doesn’t have much time these days. Plus, we were never together after the war. Everything became so blurred towards the end of it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I don’t want to be late for this meeting.”_

_Harry and Draco had spent the next couple weeks avoiding each other, only speaking to each other when they had to. Until that fateful day, when the entire dig had collapsed around them and they were stuck in the burial chamber alone for several hours while their colleagues uncovered the way out._

_“I am absolutely going to strangle whomever forgot to reinforce the tunnel,” sneered Draco._

_“Why is murder always your answer to everything Malfoy? Killing people isn’t going to get you any closer to get out of here. You just need to relax,” reasoned Harry._

_“In case you haven’t noticed Potter, we are stuck in a burial chamber with no way out, because our wands are up in our tents.”_

_“Thanks for that obvious observation,” muttered Harry darkly._

_“I don’t even have my wand to Impervious my clothes,” complained Draco, making him sound very much the prat that Harry had graduated with._

_“You know what, I don’t think I can take much more of you right now so why don’t you shut the fuck up?”_

_“Excuse me Potter, but I am not the one who deserted everyone I claimed to care about to go play in the dirt and sand some 3,000 kilometers from home. So please, spare me of your attitude,” yelled Draco._

_“What the bloody hell is your problem Malfoy? I have tried, for years to be polite, you have insulted me and my friends. Are you really weighed down so much by that chip on your shoulder that you have to take it out on the rest of the people around you?” screamed Harry back, getting closer and closer to the blonde man. “And what do you mean I abandoned my friends? What about you? What about your parents and friends?”_

_“What the fuck are you talking about Potter? Sometimes you say things that make absolutely no sense. You know that I could give a flying fuck about my father and what he thinks. And after the war, do you know how many friends I actually walked away with? Most of the friends that I had think that I betrayed them by letting them get killed or sent to prison, while escaping it myself. So, no Potter I didn’t have the pleasure of abandoning anyone, not when there isn’t anyone to abandon.”_

_Harry blinked, deflated like all of the pent-up anger and frustration of the past eight years had suddenly been released out of him by that yelled argument. “I’m sorry.”_

_“Please spare me your pity Potter, I don’t need nor want it.”_

_“I’m not pitying you Malfoy, but no one should be alone in life,” replied a Harry softly. “Well we are here together and we are going to be in Egypt for a while, so we might as well make do with what we have. I propose we start over. We are no longer Potter and Malfoy. We are just Draco and Harry.”_

_Draco felt his heart sputter at the sound of Harry speak his name for the first time without malice. He knew that he shouldn’t let himself hope that this wasn’t a trick or a dream. However, Harry wasn’t the type of person to go around saying things that he didn’t mean. **How very Gryffindor**. **Him and his goddamned nobility. I never have been able to deny that he belonged with the Lions.**_

_“Fine, Potter have it your way. But when this ends badly, because I can guarantee that it will, don’t come crying to me,” snarked the blonde while he ran a pale hand over his face. “How long do you think it will take them to get us out of this mess?”_

_“At least a couple of hours. We should be thankful that this isn’t a Muggle archeology site, it would take them a lot longer. But they also will want to make sure that they aren’t vanishing any important artifacts with the dirt and sand,” replied Harry, the voice of reason._

_They had spent the next three or so hours talking about everything from what made them to decide to leave England behind, to their favorites. It seemed to be the beginning of a great friendship. Or at least that is what they had thought at the time. Neither could have known that the changes that both of them would go through as well as what lay ahead of them in the future as England came back to bite them in the arse._

“Master Harry, dinner is being ready,” called Kreacher from the doorway. Harry looked up from the spot on the carpet that he had been staring at when he had gotten lost in those memories from what felt were so long ago.

“Oh, thank you Kreacher. I’ll be in there in just a moment, just going to freshen up and wash my hands. Make yourself a plate if you would like, like I said I’ll be just a moment.”

Kreacher nodded in confirmation and headed of back towards the kitchen, while Harry raised up out of his spot in the overstuffed armchair that he had been occupying, detouring towards the front powder room off the front hallways.

True to his word he was only but a couple of minutes before he was in the kitchen and taking his seat at the table looking at the food that Kreacher had prepared. _All of my favorites, he must have noticed my mood and tried to cheer me up._

“Thank you, Kreacher, it all looks wonderful,” thanked Harry.

“Kreacher noticed your mood today, thinking that something was on Masters mind. May Kreacher give Master some advice,” asked the house elf.

“By all means, Kreacher, you know you needn’t ask,” replied Harry with a gesture that told Kreacher to continue.

“Kreacher be thinking that you should go take a walk after dinner, being a little more active may bring some clarity to whatever is on your mind.”

“Thank you that is an excellent suggestion Kreacher. I’m sorry that I haven’t seemed myself today. I saw someone in Diagon Alley that I wasn’t expecting to.”

“Ah,” replied Kreacher in understanding. “So, a past lover?”

Harry sputtered. “Kreacher, I- uh, hmm, yes. He was.”

“And I am assuming by the fact that you have not brought him back here to meet anyone, that you have since stopped seeing one another. And by the reaction you have been showing today through your pensive thoughts it wasn’t a good break.”

“No. It wasn’t. He just vanished, without as much as an explanation or a good bye. Just a wedding announcement in the Prophet.”

“Well that is most unfortunate, Master Harry. But I assume that you never received, what is the word?”

“Closure,” Harry provided.

“Oh yes, closure, thank you.”

“No, I didn’t. But to be fair I never went looking for it. I never went and confronted him.”

“Well, you wouldn’t, you have never been a person to go looking for the answer to your own plights,” said Kreacher.

“I guess not. Thank you Kreacher. I think I will go take that walk you suggested,” said Harry rising from his chair taking his plate to the sink and rinsing it off and setting the brush to magically start washing the dishes.

Harry went and grabbed a sweater off of the back of the chair in his office, putting on his shoes and heading towards the door, making sure he had his wand and wallet, walking out the front door into the cool early evening air.

HPDM

There was a small pop, that startled Draco out of his pensive thinking of the past. Sitting in his office staring at the empty fireplace.

“Master Draco, Mistress has sent me to give you this plate of dinner. She suspected that you would forget to eat supper without anyone here to remind you,” squeaked the small creature.

“Oh, thank you, how very astute of my mother,” replied Draco with a slight roll of his eyes. “It seems that Mistress forgets that I am a grown man, fully capable of taking care of myself.”

“Twinkle isn’t one to argue with Mistress Narcissa, I just do what I am told to.”

“Well thank you all the same Twinkle.”

“Will there be anything else, Master.”

“Um yes, will you take this letter and send it off with Archimedes. It needs to be sent to the Ministry.”

“Right away Master. Please don’t forget to eat, or else it will be I that has to face Mistress Narcissa.”

“Thank you Twinkle, you know I wouldn’t let mother blame you.”

With that Twinkle disappeared with a pop. Draco sighed, he really wasn’t up to eating but knew that somehow the little protective house elf would know that Draco hadn’t eaten his dinner, and he would have to endure both his mother and Twinkle lecturing him on the importance of keeping himself healthy. So, with reluctance he uncovered the tray and dug into the salmon, vegetables and roasted potatoes, but pleased to see that there was also a rather large dish of chocolate mousse topped with a heaping dollop of cream and berries.

After finishing his rather filling dinner, Draco decided that it would be a good idea to head out and take an evening stroll, if nothing else than to help digest the large dinner he had partaken. Reaching for his blazer and wand he got up and left his flat disapparating into the abandoned streets of London.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters or ideas, the belong to J.K.Rowling. While the plot of this story is of my mind, the lyrics and title of Somewhere Out of The Blue belong to Elton John and his affiliated companies

Chapter 4

With a loud snap Draco appeared in the middle of an empty part of St. James Park. Walking along the paved path with trees towering over him with their freshly budded leaves, the late spring breeze causing Draco to stuff his hands into his pants pocket. He thought about those hot afternoons in Egypt spent in the loving company of a certain green eyed brunette. He hadn’t allowed himself to think of Harry Potter in so long that he was surprised that he really could remember how it felt, even though he shouldn’t be. They had spent a year and a half together in the Egyptian Desert. Moving from one dig site to the next. Uncovering all sorts of things, and loving the feeling of freedom that they weren’t able to enjoy while in the British Wizarding World. Harry had been right that first day, stuck in that ancient chamber surrounded by the past. He had been running away too. He didn’t want to live with the repercussions of the war. He had had enough trouble getting up the courage to go back to Hogwarts to finish his education, but his mother had been insistent. That he should have that experience to focus on school and nothing else, he was thankful for that. He couldn’t have dealt with Lucius’ declining health and the pressure that he had already been putting onto his son to make sure that the Malfoy name would live on. _Not that our name has really held much meaning anymore, thanks to him. Thank you, Father._

Him and Harry would spend hours uncovering artifacts, logging them and researching them. It had been such a relaxing time in his life, that he hadn’t even realized the evolution of their friendship until he was in so deep that he didn’t know how he was ever going to climb his way out. He had honestly stopped trying despite himself. But there was so much pressure from Lucius to stop playing in dirt and get back to England do what was expected of him. To marry a pureblooded witch and produce the next generation of Malfoys.

As Draco made his way through the pass of Admiral Arch leading to the roundabout leading into Trafalgar Square. As Draco crossed the square looking at the Lion statues, reminding him of Harry. Heading towards the National Gallery, thinking to himself that Scorpius may enjoy going there soon. He stopped at the steps and took a seat looking out over the lit fountain and clear evening.

Draco thought of all of the things that he had come to regret over the years at the top of those things was leaving his relationship with Harry the way he did. With Harry he had had it all. A friendship so deep that he could never replace it. Astoria had been a god send because she knew that his heart and thoughts strayed to another. She would see the far off look on his face when he thought she wasn’t looking. Despite all of that, she gave him his son. His beautiful baby boy, Scorpius. She had given him a precious gift without judgement. He didn’t want to take that for granted.

HPDM

Harry ended up wandering aimlessly along the Thames. So lost in thought, without direction. Lost in the memories of a time when he was unafraid of getting hurt. Times of laughter and loving embraces. Getting lost in the street markets of Cairo. Squeezed in alley ways and cobbled streets surrounded by old stone buildings with their stoops and arches. Harry decided that even though he was regretful of the loss of his lover, he was even more so of the loss of a great friend. Harry knew that he would never have another friendship like the one he shared with Ron and Hermione, but they were friends on a different level now. They shared an intimacy that he couldn’t share with them.

Thinking back, he considered if there was anything that could have saved what was. _You didn’t have to run all across kingdom come for the proceeding five years. That would have helped. As usual your issues of abandonment won, mate._

_Flashback_

_Over the months that Harry and Draco had been in Cairo, they had become as close as two people could be. Having shared stories of their difficult childhoods. Harry’s Aunt, Uncle and cousin’s treatment of him being a subject that had caused Draco a lot of anger. Apparently while his father had never struck Draco physically there were a lot of emotional scars given to him by his father. And his mother had not been a strong enough woman at the time to protect him from his father’s wrath. Draco told him that despite his precarious relationship with his father, he had grown up with every material possession that a child could have wanted. So even though there was a level of neglect on his father’s part, his father thought that because of his material possessions that Draco should’ve been happy. Harry just wanted to be loved. Harry had just wanted to have friends. Harry had just wanted to have been treated as a child and not something that his relatives had found on the bottom of their shoes. Though with those stories of their childhoods had also come the funny and amusing stories of childhood. Like Harry accidentally releasing the snake at the zoo and scaring his cousin so badly that the boy had pissed his pants. The story of Hagrid coming to that shack on the island and telling Harry that he was in fact a wizard, followed by Hagrid giving Dudley a pig’s tail. Or of how a bout of accidental magic as a child had allowed Draco to turn his father’s albino peacocks rainbow, and on another occasion when Draco had been around six, also turn his father’s mane of blonde hair an unflattering shade of magenta that had stayed for a week because no one could find a counter spell._

_They were walking through one of the many markets, strolling through at a leisurely pace, with not much care with where they were going and what time it was. Draco had mentioned that he wanted to buy some fabric to send back to his mother, who had requested to give to some of the female house elves as gifts for the holidays. And Hermione had asked about some tomes that she had heard about. Harry knew that they were going to be on their own for dinner for tonight as the other members of their group had mentioned that they were going to be heading into Cairo themselves for a night in the city. Though Draco and Harry had shoved off the invitation, preferring the relaxation of being able to stay in with some heady wine and home cooked food. Harry had found some interesting recipe books on his last excursion through the markets and wanted to try making some of them. Draco had just been fascinated by the idea that Harry, who barely had made it into NEWT level potions could cook. Which had started one of the many conversations that they had about their childhoods. Draco had been shocked to find out that not only was he neglected as a child and treated as a servant, that Dumbledore had known and still sent Harry back to Privet Drive every summer._

_“So, what do you need to make dinner?” asked Draco._

_Pulling out his list Harry replied, “Um, we need to find a stall that sells fresh herbs and spices, I need to get some lamb meat, raisins, pistachios, some fresh bread, some rice.”_

_“Okay, and what are you making? You’ve been rather secretive about this. And I swear to Merlin Potter if you poison me, I will come back and haunt you for the rest of your life.”_

_“I am not going to poison you Draco. I am making a sort of type of Northern African stew that is made with lamb and various spices, a traditional Egyptian dessert called Om Ali which is described as Egypt’s answer to bread pudding and finally as an appetizer sort of dip called hummus with a flat bread. Oh! Don’t let me forget to get chickpeas and garlic. I have olive oil in my tent from when we spent that weekend in Greece,” rambled Harry._

_“Okay well the faster that we get this done and our other errands finished the faster we can get back to the tents, cook and then finally eat. I am already starving,” replied Draco._

_“Draco, you just ate breakfast less than two hours ago. How can you already be hungry?” asked Harry._

_“Harry, I am a growing boy. I need all of the nourishment I can get.”_

_“Growing boy my arse. You are almost twenty years old,” said Harry fondly._

_“Are you calling me a liar, Potter,” said Draco as he narrowed his eyes at the brunette._

_“I would never,” exclaimed Harry clearly hurt even by the suggestion._

_“Mmhmm, whatever. Let’s get this done. I need to also grab a bottle of wine or two. Or maybe some Razzouk Arak, which is an anise flavored spirit known widely in the middle east and northern part of the continent,” said Draco as he picked up his pace, almost leaving Harry behind._

_As the two bought what they needed for both their meal and to send back home to England, they laughed at various things that they found being sold by merchants. Draco bought some very thin cotton button shirts, that made Harry joke about Draco having too much clothing already. And Harry had bought more books about the Arabic and Greek languages, having wanted to learn them. Which had made Draco then joke about Harry becoming more of a book-worm than Hermione, causing Harry to squawk indignantly and smack him with a thick tome on the Islamic religion and its influence on the modern middle east. Harry had found Ginny and Molly beautiful silk shawl wraps, and bought Ron a couple of baubles that Harry thought he might like. After slipping into an empty alley they quickly added feather light charms onto their purchases before heading back out into the street to head to the secret wizarding side of the city so they could grab a few things from the apothecary and the stationary store to pick up new quills, parchment and cypress. Finally, as the sun had passed midway in the sky the duo headed back to the apparition point to take them back to their encampment._

_“Hey, I am going to take my things back to my tent and send Archimedes off with my mother’s fabric, so I know she will get it in time,” said Draco as he headed next door to his own tent._

_“Okay, I am going to take a quick shower while you do that, if I am not finished by the time you get over there just make yourself comfortable, it shouldn’t take me that long.”_

_Harry headed into his tent, designed very much like the tent that the Weasleys had when they had gone to The Quidditch World Cup back before Fourth Year. With a separate bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen with a small table and chairs, it was all that Harry needed. Bookshelves had been lined up along the wall, stuffed to the brim with various books in different states and ages. Various piles of parchments covered the coffee table and the small writing desk that sat in the corner. And Harry’s eagle owl, Athena, sat on her perch in the corner by the desk. After Hedwig had died in the chase from Privet Drive, Harry hadn’t had the heart to get another snowy owl. He hadn’t even gotten Athena until he had decided to make the move to Egypt. However, Harry had known that he would need an owl to send in work to the ministry and Gringotts, as well keep in touch with his friends and family._

_Harry quickly stripped down and got into the shower, enjoying the cool water, after a long morning in the hot desert sun. Quickly and efficiently Harry soaped his hair and body down, rinsing off and stepping out. He grabbed a pair of thin cotton lounge pants and a green and yellow Holyhead Harpies t shirt that Ginny had gotten him for the previous Christmas. After finishing getting dressed, he headed out into the common area, seeing that Draco had arrived sometime during his shower and curled up onto his couch with one of his books, that he must have found on his bookcase. Noticing that Draco had also changed into a pair of lighter cotton pants as well as one of the shirts that he had bought at the market, rolling up the sleeves, exposing his forearms. It was about three weeks into their friendship that the subject of Draco’s Dark Mark had been addressed. In a moment of forgetfulness, Draco had pushed up his sleeves and then proceeded to panic when Harry looked at it. But Harry had grabbed his arm tipped his arm over to face his palm and forearm upwards, and gently ran his fingers over the faded tattoo. “This tattoo does not decide or portray all that you are Draco Malfoy. You can be regretful of the things that you were forced to do, you can even seek forgiveness but you should not be ashamed. This mark and what it represented to you at the time is what made you into the person you are today. You were given an impossible task, and an even more so you survived, you didn’t let it break you. I am grateful that you realized very early what side you were truly on. Looking back, I could always see the struggle that you experienced especially during sixth year. And I am happy that you are with me here, now.”_

_After that Draco had not let a time go by when they were alone, where he covered up the mark. For the most part he covered it up while they worked but when they were by themselves in their Harry and Draco bubble, it stayed out in the open._

_“Hey, got everything taken care of?” asked Harry._

_“Yeah, Archimedes will be gone a few days.”_

_“Well I am going to go start the food. If you want, I probably could use some help chopping herbs and vegetables, as well as grinding up the whole spices that I bought. I have a mortar and pestle over there on that shelf, and knives are in that drawer,” said Harry pointing out the items._

_“What are you going to do?” asked Draco._

_“I am going to prepare the meat, and make the hummus that we can snack on while the stew cooks. Then I am going to start the desert.”_

_“Oh, you know that you don’t have to go through all of this trouble, right?” asked Draco uncertainly._

_“I know, but I want to. It’s relaxing to cook. Plus, how else am I ever going to prove to you that I’m not rubbish at cooking.”_

_Draco made a non-committal hum under his breath as he grabbed the mortar and pestle from the shelf. Grabbing the bag of herbs and spices from the table that Harry had it deposited on when he had come in. Draco and Harry spent the next half hour quietly working on their tasks._

_“Harry?” asked Draco._

_“Yeah, what’s up mate?”_

_“Why did you and Ginny not work out. I realize that you both were busy after the war but you’ve never really went into detail about it.”_

_Harry turned around from what he was doing at the counter to look at the Blonde. “Really, it just didn’t feel right. To either of us. When I thought about it, after the dust had settled and we were back to just being Harry and Ginny again, without the threat of death and a world being dominated by a genocidal maniac, we realized that we didn’t want the same things. She wanted excitement and to be an internationally famous Quidditch player. She wanted to have that limelight, but not because she was Harry Potter’s girlfriend. And me, I just wanted to blend into the crowd. I wanted to have the events of the last seven years of my life that had brought me up against the Darkest wizard to grace the world since Grindlewald, to go away. I wanted to live a relaxed existence where I could just be Harry. And I looked around Britain and I didn’t see that. So, I spent some time at Bill and Fleur Weasley’s house by the ocean, spending part of the summer there, trying to figure what I was going to do with my life since I had decided that I was done with fighting and catching the bad guys for everyone else. It was actually Bill that suggested this to me. Though he had originally suggested Curse-Breaking to me, not Magical Archeology. That came later during our initial training. Ron and Hermione have said that they don’t get accosted as much now that the press has seemed to realize that I am not in the country anymore. Though I am sure that they think that I am in France or America. What about you? How did you get here? Surely Lucius Malfoy is having a conniption fit right now?”_

_“Well Lucius can shove it for all I care. He is to spend the next 7 months in Azkaban as part of his year long sentence. He has no right to try to control me after what kind of rubbish he has turned our name into. Really, I was talking to Mother after graduation, trying to figure what I was going to do now that I had graduated. I knew I didn’t want to stay in England for the time. As much as I tried to keep my head down and stay invisible during our make up year, I knew that my father’s and I’s mistakes were going to have a lasting effect on how I was treated. For all that the wizarding world wants to move forward many of them have a long memory of anything that they find distasteful. So, I took a map and pointed, ended up on Egypt and looked up job openings in what I could get with my NEWTS. After some deliberation, I chose this. And I am very happy that I did. I wouldn’t have been able to take you on as a friend and start fresh with you.”_

_Harry looked down at his bare feet, face feeling hot with his flush. “I am glad that we ended up here too. I wouldn’t have gained a friend that I never imagined having.”_

_“Okay now that I am done with this, what do you need me to do?” asked Draco standing up from the table that he had been using as a work surface._

_“Bring me those spices that you crushed.”_

_Draco carried the mortar and the bowl that he had the herbs in over to the counter._

_“Okay, give me those then take some of that olive oil and drizzle a bit over the top of the bowl of hummus, then sprinkle some of the spice mixture on top. And I will add the rest to the meat so it can marinade. And can you hand me a serrated knife out of the drawer?” remarked Harry._

_“Sure.” Draco reached around Harry to grab the bottle of olive oil, and realized just how close he was to the other man, with them standing hip to hip and shoulder to shoulder in the cramped area of the countertop of the kitchen. Quickly clearing his suddenly dry throat, he asked, “Do you want me to open one of those bottles of wine to breathe?”_

_“Yeah, there are some stemless glasses in that top cabinet, when you’re ready for them. I am sorry that I don’t have true wine glasses but I haven’t really needed them up until this point.”_

_“You’re fine, I know you’re not used to fine dining Potter,” joked Draco._

_“Rude!” exclaimed Harry while he smacked Draco with the side of the knife._

_“Hey! Watch where you brandish that thing Potter, you risk poking an eye out.”_

_“I think you’d look rather dashing with an eyepatch,” remarked Harry waving Draco off. Realizing that what his unfiltered mouth had said flushed and turned back to his task of cutting up the bread he had bought for the Om Ali. “Okay will you mix up the sugar pistachios, raisins, coconut, cardamom and cinnamon?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_Grabbing what he needed he turned back to his space beside Harry, once again realizing just how close they were. “Where is your bowls?”_

_“Oh, um in that corner cabinet beside the cold cabinet.”_

_After mixing up the ingredients, he handed the bowl to Harry who was spreading the cubed bread into a baking dish, after pouring the nuts and fruit mixture over the bread he added a hefty amount of cream to bake into a soft custard that would soften and envelope the bread, mixing with the spices, fruit and nuts._

_“Okay that has about 40 minutes and then I have to take it out and let it cool. I can always zap it with a light warming charm when we serve it,” said Harry as he placed the meat in the cold cabinet. “Okay we have a bit of time before we have to do anything else.”_

_Harry set the dirty dishes in the sink, flicking his wand to get them to start washing. Turning back towards the open living room. He made his way over to the coffee table where he had set down his new books and grabbed one of them and laid out on the couch. At the other end Draco was reading the book that he had been reading when Harry had come in from the shower. Stretching out on the couch with their legs and feet tangled between them, they fell into a comfortable silence, reading their respective books._

_Or so Harry thought, Draco had been hyper aware of their interactions all day. He realized that he was starting to navigate dangerous and uncharted territory. They both were, even if the brunette didn’t realize it. They had become so close in the past two months that it had happened without Draco even realizing. He was falling in love with this man. He told himself when they had started this friendship and started over in that underground chamber, that he was going to be honest with the other man. That he wouldn’t keep anything from him, and be completely transparent, because that was what Harry deserved. Harry had spent so much of his life being lied to and manipulated. By people that were supposed to care for him. From his relatives, to Dumbledore, to the rest of the Order._

_Draco didn’t want to keep it from him. Didn’t want to keep the feelings to himself, but what if they weren’t reciprocated. What if it ruined everything that they had built since that day? They had come so far from those two boys in the halls of Hogwarts, trading nasty insults and jabs. What if the words couldn’t be taken back? Draco didn’t know if he could take that. Harry was the courageous one. He was the Gryffindor. Draco was the self-preserving Slytherin, that held his cards so close to his chest, so that he wouldn’t get hurt. Because if this would end in a blazing glory he didn’t know if he could survive._

_Harry had been also observing Draco over the top of his book. Watching as Draco caught his bottom lip in between his teeth, a sign that Harry had learned over the years, that the blonde man was deep in thought. His eyes out of focus, which also meant that he wasn’t focused on the book that he was holding._

_“Wanna share with the rest of the group what’s on your mind?” asked Harry, breaking the silence._

_“Hmm? Oh, um just thinking about how far we have come in just the past few months,” replied Draco absentmindedly._

_“Mmhmm, let’s say that I believe you, I know that you were pondering something, you always have a certain facial expression when you’re thinking about something really hard. Like whatever you’re thinking about is going to also solve the never-ending questions of the universe.”_

_Draco just looked at the other man like a fish out of water. Thinking how he was going to avoid this line of questioning. He didn’t know if he was ready to face this. He knew that his feelings were there. But he felt the need to do more observing to see if he could solve his problem of not knowing how the other man felt about him. He could pine away. He could keep himself in check, he was a Slytherin after all. But that also meant wanting what he couldn’t and shouldn’t._

_Harry swung his legs off the side of the couch and scooted closer, grabbing Draco’s book and setting it with his onto the coffee table. “You always hold so much on your shoulders, even after all of these years. You don’t allow others into your struggles. Now come on, tell me what’s wrong, I can’t help fix it if I don’t know what I am fixing.”_

_“I am not a pet project that you can fix Harry.”_

_“I never said I wanted to fix you, I think I like you as you are, thanks very much. I do want to help you with whatever is on your mind so heavily.”_

_Draco looked down at his hands, contemplating just how much he should reveal of himself. Draco like many other snakes didn’t like being exposed to danger, and this seemed to be a dangerous conversation. Draco felt Harry shift, and a finger tap his chin to encourage him to look back up in the deep green eyes, that Harry had finally uncovered from those thick black frames of his childhood._

_“Full disclosure, remember? There isn’t anything short of you going out and murdering someone that could make me turn away. And even those conditions are up for negotiation, depending on the person,” smirked Harry at his own joke._

_“I know, I just don’t really know how to tell you this.”_

_“Would it help if you couldn’t see me?” asked Harry._

_“Maybe? It couldn’t hurt to try.”_

_“Okay.” Harry grabbed his wand off the table and conjured piece of silk fabric, gesturing Draco to lean forward. He tied it loosely over the other man’s eyes, got up and moved over to the overstuffed chair on the other side of the coffee table._

_Draco let out a shaky breath. “I am not sure where to begin, other than by saying that this wasn’t something that just suddenly happened. I didn’t realize it, but it’s been there in the back of mind for as long as I can remember. Before these pasts few months I hadn’t even thought about what it meant. I hadn’t even allowed myself to think that we would ever be friends. There was just too much bad blood. But you have to know that these months that we have spent as friends have been the best of my life and I don’t want that to change.”_

_“Oookkay, but why would they change? What are you trying to tell me, Draco?” asked Harry, not really wanting to believe that this conversation was going to take the turn that he didn’t even dare to hope._

_Draco took one last breath, gathering all of his courage. With the knowledge that Harry would never purposefully hurt him, it just wasn’t something that Harry was capable of. “I love you; I have fallen in love with you, I am not sure when. It has been something that has just crept up without a firm knowledge. I know that it may not be something that you want to hear but I…”_

_Harry had already moved, tearing himself from the armchair and in three strides around the coffee table and towered over the other man. Taking the pale face into his tanned hands and drew him in to a soft kiss. Stealing the blonde’s words and breath from his lungs. Draco shifted to make himself taller, while Harry fell to his knees in front of the couch. Harry pulled away, taking the silk makeshift blind fold, revealing wide molten silver eyes framed by dark blonde eyelashes._

_Suddenly there was a loud beeping sound that filled the tent, Harry placed another soft kiss to Draco’s lips and got up. “Hold on a second, don’t want dessert to burn.”_

_Harry hurried over to the oven and pulled out the Om Ali and placed it onto a cooling rack, before hurrying back over to the couch and taking the spot right next to Draco. Grabbing Draco’s hands, he said, “I am glad you told me. You telling me made me realize that I have held feelings for you, that I don’t just see you as a friend. You help me see the world and have helped me become relaxed in my skin and in life again. If I can even say that I ever was. You see me for Harry, for just a man that wants to be loved and to love. To not have to hide behind false masks and to just be myself. So yes, I feel the same.”_

_Draco smiled at him, a bigger smile than Harry had ever seen. Dazzling, making his grey eyes crinkle at the corners, and his eyes sparkle with pure happiness._

_They spent the rest of the evening, cooking the rest of their meal, enjoying the wine that Draco had bought, and each other’s company, intermingling with deep embraces and kisses. Finally succumbing to sleep in Harry’s bed and each other’s embrace, with not a care in the world. To them, that moment had been perfect._

_END FLASHBACK_

Harry was making his way across the front of the National Gallery towards Trafalgar Square to look at the fountain, but stopped as he reached the steps. There he was, an unmistakable head of the palest blonde hair, the man that had plagued his thoughts since that morning. Harry had thought about turning around and making a run for it, but he must have been heard, for he turned around on the step he was perched on. For the second time that day, molten mercury eyes met those of the brightest emerald, and the two men were lost. Having spent so much of the day lost in memories of years past. Wishing that they could just go back to those days spent in the hot sun, and chilly nights surrounded by sand and stars. Endless amounts of stars, where they would lay on thick Egyptian cotton blankets looking up at the stars, finding the constellations, and the stars that they studied. However, that wasn’t the reality for either man.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters or ideas, the belong to J.K.Rowling. While the plot of this story is of my mind, the lyrics and title of Somewhere Out of The Blue belong to Elton John and his affiliated companies

Chapter 5

“Hey,” said Draco so softly that Harry almost missed it.

“I can’t seem to escape you, today can I?” asked Harry disbelievingly.

“It would appear not; I know I have a lot to atone for when it comes to our relationship, and how it ended.”

“Can you even call it a relationship, Draco?” asked Harry, running his hands through his dark hair. “A relationship implies that you communicated with me, that you trusted me enough to know what was happening. But you didn’t you just left me.”

“But I came back, I came back after the first two weeks, to try to explain it to you. However, you were already gone by then, and no matter how much I would ask the other people in our group, they wouldn’t tell me where you had gone. Look, Harry I am so sorry. I know that there is seldom chance that you will ever forgive me. I miss my best friend, not just my lover. I did- I do love you, and I don’t have any other explanation except that I was a coward. I should have stood up for myself and for my relationship with you. We could have worked it out.”

“You came after me?” asked Harry, shocked.

“I did, I knew that Astoria and I were getting married. It had been something that had been encouraged. My parents had wanted me to marry Daphne, but Daphne would have spent and used the Malfoy fortune. Astoria was different, she was a soft soul that just wanted a child. So, my father announced our engagement without our knowledge beforehand. I tried to find you and Astoria; she knew about you. I told her about you. In the later months of her pregnancy when she started getting so weak, I told her about my adventures in Egypt. I told her everything. I needed her to know the reasons to why I couldn’t love her the way that she deserved. But she gave me Scorpius. You saw him this morning, he’s such a beautiful boy. And it is something that I am doing. The only two things in my life that I feel that I have gotten right are that little boy and the months that we spent together, though I am regretful of how they ended.”

“Draco this is too much, you can’t tell me these things after over five years, and hope that it will make it all better,” said Harry.

“I know it can’t. I just feel that these are things that you should know,” said Draco quietly. “Look I know that you plan on leaving for South America in a couple of months, but I would like for us to try to be some semblance of friends again.”

“I don’t know if I can do that.”

“Okay,” said Draco defeatedly. He got up off the steps and made his way to pass Harry. “Owl me if you would like to get coffee or something. Athena will be able to find me.”

And Draco walked away, no more emotionally grounded than he had before he had started on his walk. Disapparating away, and arriving back in his office, he walked up to his fire place and shouted out the address of the person who he knew would have the two things that he needed at that moment. A copious amount of stiff drink and sage advice that Draco desperately needed.

HPDM

Blaise had just closed the window sending off the owl carrying the letter he had just sent to Fred Weasley, confirming their lunch date for the following day when the fireplace chimed, indicating someone wanted to come through for a visit. Considering there few people who knew where he lived, he figured it could only be a handful of people. With a wave of his wand he allowed the person entrance, unsurprised by the identity of the person who stepped out of the fireplace in a fire of green and onto the rug in front of it.

“Draco, mate, what an unexpected surprise.”

Draco hummed in response and walked straight over to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a generous portion of Odgen’s.

“Help yourself, what’s wrong mate? You rarely drink, and where is Scorpius?” asked Blaise, officially concerned. After the amount of alcohol that Lucius Malfoy drank during his life, turning him into a cruel and mean man, Draco had a strict rule against having alcohol in his home.

“I ran into Harry today, twice.”

“Ah, well that explains it. You haven’t seen him since you came back here from Egypt and your father announced your marriage to Astoria. So, he really is back?”

“Not officially or permanently I suppose. He is apparently getting ready for an excursion in Central and South America. Something about ancient civilizations and their religious leaders being seers, and prophecies.”

“Sounds right up his alley. And you don’t want him to go.” It wasn’t a question, they both knew. Blaise knew about everything. Draco had come home from Egypt, in the aftermath of Lucius Malfoy placing the announcement about his son’s upcoming nuptials in the Prophet, and Draco trying to find Potter and to explain. Draco had come back to England broken and full of regret, but didn’t want to show up to the Manor in such a way. He had spilled everything to Blaise. The whole story, of how Draco and Potter had become friends, how that friendship had grown into that moment in the midst of cooking became more. And through their entire relationship for the following year. Blaise was of the opinion that Draco should have told Lucius to bugger off and gone back to his digging in the dirt. Draco may not have had his lover anymore but at least he would have been out from under Lucius’ influence. But Draco was far too noble for that, something Blaise was sure was something that Potter had rubbed off onto him. Draco would never allow his mother to have to deal with Lucius’ wrath.

“You still love him?” asked Blaise.

“I’ll always love him. With Harry, I could breathe. I could be myself. I truly loved Astoria and what she gave me, for what she sacrificed. For that I will love her, in a way. Like one loves their very best friend. But there was nothing ever romantic about our relationship. My mother and father don’t even know this, but when we had Scorpius, we used muggle methods. Astoria understood that I felt like I was dishonoring Harry even more by, sleeping with her. Our marriage was never actually consummated. I couldn’t do it, and thankfully Astoria understood. So, we went to a muggle fertility clinic, and we put on the front that I was just a friend that was making her dream of having a child of her own come true. When really it was the other way around. Astoria was someone who will always be precious to me. However, without Harry, I am lost. I have been lost for over five years. Five years of feeling like I was drowning under water. However, Harry will never forgive me. That was made clear this evening. He can’t even stand to be around me. I have lost that chance, forever.”

“Draco, I don’t think the chance is lost forever. I do not believe for one minute that Potter and his Gryffindor sentimental tendencies has forgotten his feelings. Look at the situation from his perspective. You left him in Egypt, he sees this wedding announcement in the Prophet, so he does the only thing that makes sense to him at the time, he runs. He’s been running ever since. We know that he has been all around the world, only coming back to England when it has been necessary and only for a handful of days at a time. He doesn’t want to deal with the fact that you supposedly hurt him so bad. Sometimes the answer to dealing with a Gryffindor is to act more like a Slytherin. Cunning will get you what you want far more than trying to be a Gryffindor. Throw your pride and self-preservation out the window in this case Draco. There is nothing you can do to fix this between you two other than forcing him to confront what he’s feeling. Cornering a lion, while not the smartest thing to do, it is the most effective thing to do to get what you want,” reasoned Blaise. “Now if you will excuse me, I have a date tomorrow that I really must be well rested for. However, you are welcome to use my guest bedroom, as I assume since you are here Scorpius already has alternative sleeping arrangements.”

“Yes, he is at the Manor with my Mother, Aunt and playing with the small Lupin boy. They are very close.”

“Well, it is good for Scorp to have a playmate around his age, who knows maybe he will be introduced to the other Weasley children, the oldest has children around that age as well as does Ronald.”

“How do you know so much about the Weasleys Blaise?” asked Draco suspiciously.”

“Oh, don’t you know, I have held quite the torch for Fred Weasley for years. And he has finally plucked up the courage to ask me for a lunch date. You know me, I never ask,” replied Blaise with a wink. “Goodnight.”

“’Night,” said Draco as he transfigured his clothes into a set of black silk pajamas and removed his shoes. Pulling his wand out he thought of his happiest memory and conjured his patronus, a massive Common Welsh green, “I am going to spend the night at Blaise’s house but I will be there in the morning to pick up Scorpius, I love you.” Sending it on its way to the Manor and his mother. Making his way into Blaise’s spare bedroom, Draco pulled back the blanket and sheets, laying down, allowing Morpheus to wrap his conscious into sleep.

Draco didn’t sleep as well as he would have hoped. Memories creeping into his dreams, that would morph into nightmares.

The next morning Draco woke up early. Having tossed and turned all night, finally giving up around 6 in the morning before going back into the living room and grabbing a book from the shelf and sitting down to read. He really had no other choice but to sit around until it was an appropriate time to go pick up his son.

HPDM  
Over the course of the next week, Draco avoided the pointed questions of his mother and stayed busy with Scorpius and work. On the following Friday, Draco took Scorpius to Andromeda’s house to visit with Teddy while he was out to a few meetings with potential business investors for Malfoy Enterprises and trying to close up some loose ends before the weekend. He had plans to take Scorpius to the Science Museum. They had a children’s tour and activities that Draco was sure Scorpius would love.

After dropping Scorpius off at Andromeda’s house and greeting both his aunt and mother, who had been spending a lot of time with her sister because of the lack of company at the Manor. His mother was lonely, but he really didn’t know what to tell her. He didn’t know if she would ever marry again after the death of Lucius. Despite what had been the beginning of their marriage and how it had come about, Lucius and Narcissa had in the end been a love match. Draco had wanted that, but unfortunately that had not been possible, for Draco’s heart had already been taken with full willingness by Harry. Draco loved how it felt to be with Harry. Harry’s go with the flow attitude towards life allowed Draco to see the world so much differently than he had ever been able to. And now that he had the freedom to dictate his own life, he had decided that it was time to live the way that he wanted.

HPDM

Harry woke up early on the following Friday after his run in with Draco. He had worked hard all week but decided to cut out early on Friday and take a half day. By just going into his office to finish up a couple of fire call meetings with the Chinese Ministry to finish up the final negotiations for the rights to the findings of the last dig that they had conducted in the mountains of northern China. Afterwards he decided to grab some soup and sandwiches from a café in the muggle part of London and take it to Andromeda’s house so he could visit with her, Ted and little Teddy. After ordering a couple of large containers of hearty French Onion Soup and a large loaf of crusty bread. As well as a large cold cut hoagie sandwich cut into four portions, Harry headed back into The Leaky Cauldron and apparated get to Andromeda’s house in Southern England.

Harry walked up the little stone path through the front garden and knocked on the front door of the quaint little house. A couple of moments later Ted Tonks opened the door, “Ah, Harry! How are you today? Is Andy expecting you?”

“I don’t believe so, I took a partial day at work today, and decided to come by and spend the afternoon with Teddy and you two.”

“Oh well come in, come in. We were just in the back garden with a spot of tea. You aren’t the first person to pop over however.”

“Oh? Who else is here?”

“Oh, just Cissa. She’s been around quite a bit since that husband of hers died. She’s visiting with Andy and the children.”

“Oh,” said Harry. _I wonder if Victoire is here._

The two men made their way through the house towards the kitchen, where the door to the back garden was. Facing out into the garden was the back silhouettes of the two sisters, looking like Yin and Yang with the opposite coloring of their hair, with Andromeda’s darkest of dark brown and Narcissa’s pale corn silk blonde. Harry came around the table and set the parcels of food onto the table and greeted the two women.

“Oh, Harry it’s so good to see you, we heard that you were back in the country. What have you brought with you?” asked Andy.

“Just some French onion soup with a cold cut sandwiches and some crusty bread if someone doesn’t want a sandwich. Hello Andy, Hello Mrs. Malfoy. How are you two ladies doing today?”

Before either of the women could answer there was an excited screech from across the garden. “Harry!”

Suddenly as Harry was turning around, he found himself knocked backwards by the force of a six-year-old Teddy Lupin crashing into him and grabbing him around the middle. “Hey, Teddy how are you little man?”

“It’s been so long! Where have you been this time?” asked the overly excited child, as his hair turned from its normal sandy brown to jet black. “Have you met Scorpius?”

Harry froze and jerked his head up to look across the garden at the little blonde boy that he had seen the previous week on the hip of Draco Malfoy. The little boy that was now slowly making his way towards them, following his cousin to see what was so exciting about the new comer.

Teddy jogged over to Scorpius and grabbed his had and dragged him over to the group of adults. “Scorpius, this is my Uncle Harry. He travels a lot so he isn’t around a lot. He digs in the dirt and finds really old people and their stuff.”

Scorpius straightened himself up and held his tiny chubby hand out in an invitation to shake and said, “Hewo Mwister Harry, I am Scorpus Malfwoy, it’s nice to meet Tweddy’s Unca.”

 _Fuck this kid is Draco’s, and he’s so much cuter than I let myself to believe,_ thought Harry to himself. Harry right then knew he was screwed. He always told himself that Draco’s son was going to be a photo copied version of Draco at that age, or at least what Draco portrayed himself as. Draco had never been shy about the fact that he had in fact been quite the terror as a kid. An act of misbehavior to gain the attention of his inattentive parents.

“Hello, Scorpius, it’s nice to meet you too,” said Harry while shaking the little hand that had been offered.

“Mwister Harry, do you want to pway with Teddy and I?” asked Scorpius looking up at Harry with overly large sea blue eyes, a feature that Harry realized that he would have gotten from his mother. The thought made Harry’s heart constrict a little. But Harry had never been one to blame the sins of the father onto the child.

“That would be lovely Scorpius, but why don’t you go inside with Teddy and find Ted so you can wash your hands. I am sure you are hungry after playing all morning. I brought sandwiches, for you two.”

“Excellent idea, Harry, I also have some fruit cut up in the fridge that can have as well. Teddy will you tell your grandfather to bring that out as well.”

“Okay grandmama, come on Scorpius,” said Teddy while he grabbed Scorpius’ hand, and dragged the little boy into the house.

“So, Harry, tell us about your travels. We heard you were in China last. However, I haven’t seen you since you were in Istanbul. Or was it Germany that you were when we last saw you?” asked Andromeda.

“It was Germany, Andy. I wish I was around more, but I love my job, I don’t know what I would be doing otherwise.”

“Maybe you could teach at the Wizarding side of Cambridge or at Oxford. I am sure they would love to have a professor of your caliber. I heard that Hogwarts was looking into a new History of Magic professor, finally.”

“You would think that would have forced Binns to retire years ago. He was falling asleep in the middle of class when I was still attending Hogwarts,” remarked Narcissa.

“How are you Mrs. Malfoy? I am sorry to have heard about your husband’s passing,” said Harry.

“Mr. Potter, there is no need for you to be unnecessarily polite. We both know that was no love lost between you and Lucius. And call me Narcissa, please.”

“Maybe not, _Narcissa_ , however, Lucius’ passing did cause your family a level of sadness and loss, and for that I am sorry.”

“So polite. I heard that you have already encountered my son.”

“Um, yes, I will be transparent though, and reveal that it was not the most welcome of encounters. As I am to assume you already know some semblance of what we were to each other at one point.”

“Well, Draco has not said as much, but a mother knows. Now I believe that I should apologize to you on the behalf of my husband. If I had known at the time what was happening in Egypt all those years ago, I would have forbidden Lucius from having that wedding announcement from being released. Lucius had no right to hurt his son like that. And by doing so, he also hurt you as well. I would like to encourage you to at least speak with Draco. Give him some semblance of a chance. He has been alone for a long time and it is high time that he is happy. It is time for _both_ of you to be happy.”

“There is no need for you to be so blunt with him Cissa,” said Andromeda sharply. “You know that Draco wouldn’t appreciate you butting into what he claims to be his business.”

“Well, my son is stubborn, there isn’t any doubt about that. An awful trait he unfortunately got from his father. His pride too. Draco has spent a long time alone. And if he had it his way, he would spend the rest of his life pining after the what ifs and had beens. He would wither away, and that is not something that I want for my son,” said Narcissa haughtily.

Harry just listened to this conversation, summoning bowls to serve soup and bread. Pondering on what it all meant. Was he ready to face Draco? He knew he had been a coward over the years. Avoiding coming back to England. Making sure not to encounter the other man. Draco had made it easy at the beginning staying in Wiltshire or at his other residence, because of Scorpius’ young age. But that had changed. He knew the two women were right, but he was scared. He was scared of what would happen. What might happen.

The boys came rushing back into the garden followed by Ted. “Alright, lets eat, anyone want fruit?”

As the group ate, Harry shared some stories of his adventures abroad. Entrancing the two young boys. At the end of lunch, Scorpius chimed in with the information that he and his father were going to be going to the Science and Natural History museums the next day. Which in turn made Teddy excited, looking at his grandparents, asking if he could go as well. Andromeda said that they would think about it and ask Draco if that was acceptable.

After the remnants of lunch had been cleared and cleaned up, the boys hurried off to continue playing, dragging Harry with them. They wanted Harry to play the Dragon while they were knights trying to “defeat him to save the castle and its inhabitants,” which turned to be a group of stuffed toys that they had crammed into the makeshift castle.

A little while later, Narcissa called over Scorpius and quietly said something to him, before he responded with a rather loud confirmation, before running back to Teddy and Harry. “Mwister Harry will you come with us to the Museum?”

“Um, I don’t know about that Scorpius, that’s really up to your father. And shouldn’t you want to spend the time at the museum with him?” asked Harry, stuttering over his words in shock.

“Well, maybe but I tink Papa would be having somebody grown up to spwend time with if Tweddy came with us. I will be too busy,” replied Scorpius as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Well.. I guess if he says it’s okay,” replied Harry, convinced that either the idea would be forgotten before Scorpius could ask his father or Draco would recognize the terrible idea when it was suggested.

Another couple hours later, Harry left with the promise to be back sooner rather than later to visit.

HPDM

Draco appeared with a crack in front of the Tonks’ residence at half past 4 later that afternoon, prepared to pick his son up before heading home for dinner, a bath and some reading. Draco knocked on the door, waiting until Ted Tonks answered the door, wrapped in an apron, wooden spoon in hand. “Draco! You must be here to pick up Scorp. They’re all in the back. Go on ahead, would you like to stay for supper, it’s no trouble we have plenty for everyone. Its Shepard’s Pie night.”

“Oh, that sounds wonderful. And even better it keeps me from having to expose my son to my horrendous cooking skills,” laughed Draco.

Draco walked out into the back garden where Andromeda and his mother were situated at the outdoor table under the canopy tent that hung above it. While the boys were off playing in their makeshift castle.

“Oh Draco, you just missed Harry,” said Andromeda.

Draco looked at his aunt, surprised. “What was he doing here?”

“He was here to visit with us and Teddy. He’s Teddy’s godfather, having been close friends with both Dora and Remus. Remus went to school with my cousin Sirius and James Potter. He was sort of an honorary god father to Harry after Sirius succumbed to the Veil in the Department of Mysteries.”

“Oh,” was all Draco could get out before he heard Scorpius’ cry across the yard, “PAPA!”

Scorpius bound over to his father, wrapping his little arms around Draco’s legs. At least trying to. “Papa, Papa! I met Teddy’s uncle Harry. CAN HE COME TO THE MUSEUM WITH US? I ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD COME BUT HE SAID IT WAS UP TO YOU!”

“Oh, Scorpius, I don’t know if that is a good idea. Teddy’s uncle and I have some adult things to take care of before we can go to the museums together,” said Draco, looking at his Mother, whom he could tell was trying to put on a face of innocence.

“But Papa, wouldn’t the musewems be a good place to do that. Aunt Andy already said they were bwinging Teddy, I don’t want you to be wonewy.”

“Well that is very considerate. Tell you what, why don’t I write Harry a quick note asking him what he thinks and you go back to playing with Teddy. And I should find out before your Uncle Ted is finished with supper.”

“Otay,” replied Scorpius, placated for the moment and jogged off to join his cousin in the castle like structure.

“Well, since I know it wasn’t my son’s idea which one of you put the idea into his head?” asked Draco, sharply turning onto the women sitting at the table.

“Oh, Draco, we just felt that maybe you and Harry needed a little push,” said Andromeda.

“And I told you last week that I didn’t want you putting your noses into the middle of it. This whole situation is complicated enough without Scorpius getting attached to Harry, without any forethought. Because he will. Harry is great with kids; he seems to attract them wherever he goes. So now I have to go send an owl to Harry, hoping that he doesn’t disappoint my son. So, thanks for that.”

“Oh, Draco just use the floo. The address is Number 12 Grimmauld Place.”

Draco nodded before walking off, grumbling about nosy batty women who had nothing better to do with their time. But thinking better of it and took out his wand and thought of the first time the two men said that they I love you to one another, and conjured his massive Common Welsh Green Dragon patronus and said, “Harry, my son has informed me of the issued invitation to the museums tomorrow, will it be possible to floo and discuss it. This seems faster than sending an owl.”

With a flick of the wrist the large dragon dissolved into a light and swept out of the house.

HPDM

Harry was sitting in his living room, reading another reference tome about the ancient civilizations of Central and South Americas when the space was suddenly filled with a massive dragon patronus, opening its mouth, as if about to spew fire. Instead Draco’s voice filled the room. “Harry, my son has informed me of the issued invitation to the museums tomorrow, will it be possible to floo and discuss it. This seems faster than sending an owl.”

After finishing the dragon disappeared. Harry pulled out his wand and conjured his own stag patronus. “Yeah, give me a moment to pull down the wards on the Floo.”

Sending the patronus off, and turned to the fireplace and lit the fire and pulled down his wards, reconnecting his floo to the network. After a moment the fire flared green and the form of Draco Malfoy’s head came through.

“ I am sorry to bother you, but it seems that Scorpius has gotten it into his head that tomorrow while we are at the museums, I will be bored and lonely because he will be spending all of his time with Teddy, and I will end up a fifth wheel.”

“No, problem. I just don’t know if this is the best idea. If and when we talk, I just think that we should speak without little ears as well as the ears of the press,” replied Harry, unsure.

“I get that, Harry I just don’t know what to tell Scorpius. I don’t know how to explain to my son that you were Papa’s boyfriend before his mother, and that we didn’t end our relationship on good terms. That we didn’t even end our relationship, because his father is a rather large dunderhead.”

“All of those are very good points, Draco,” said Harry. “Fine, tell Scorpius and Teddy that I will see all of you guys tomorrow. It’s not as if I have anything better to do. What time are you guys going to be heading out to London?”

“Well I am sure that Andromeda and my mother will be at my flat around 9:30, and we will leave immediately following. We will be taking a car, but you are welcome to apparate to the park nearby and meet us there. We are going to the Science Museum first, having lunch and then heading over to the Natural History Museum,” said Draco.

“Okay, I am still unsure if this is a good idea, but I will try to put on a good front for the children, they don’t need to know that anything untoward is wrong with us. See you tomorrow Draco.”

“I appreciate it, Harry. We will see you tomorrow.”

Draco pulled his head out of the fireplace and cut the connection. Draco went into the kitchen, asking Ted if he would like him to take the plates, forks and napkins outside. “That would be lovely, thank you Draco. It is almost finished I am taking it out of the oven and we should let it cool for about 10 minutes. I will spoon some onto the children’s plates and put them in the cold cabinet for a minute or so, so it’s not so hot for them.”

“Thank you, Ted.”

The rest of the evening passed rather quickly. After eating dinner, Scorpius became rather subdued, having spent so much energy playing with Teddy and Harry, as well as the excitement he expended when Draco informed him that Harry had agreed to accompany them to the museums the following day. With a very sleepy Scorpius in his arms, Draco left the Tonks residence and apparated back to his flat and getting the little boy ready for bed, with a quick bath and a short story. Scorpius was already asleep not even half way through the book. Draco kissed his son on the forehead, brushing aside the pale blonde bangs in the process.

Draco left his son’s room and took a shower himself. Ridding himself of the day and trying to relax. It had been a long day, between a half a dozen business meetings for Malfoy Enterprises. Draco took his time, but enjoyed the moment in which his head hit his pillow, falling asleep almost immediately. 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters or ideas, the belong to J.K.Rowling. While the plot of this story is of my mind, the lyrics and title of Somewhere Out of The Blue belong to Elton John and his affiliated companies

Chapter 6

The next morning Harry woke up, nervous, he knew that this confrontation was going to happen sooner or later, he just would have rather it be later. Harry knew deep down that Narcissa and Andromeda were right, Harry had been running. He had been running for a long time. He had seen that wedding announcement, and just panicked. If he didn’t have to deal with confronting the matter, Harry could have fooled himself into thinking that it really wasn’t that Harry was going to be the one that gotten hurt. He realized that by running, Harry had confirmed to Draco that their relationship wasn’t worth fighting for. Draco had been upfront with the fact that his father was pushing him to get married and produce an heir. Harry hadn’t thought that it would be something that Draco would go through with though. He knew he needed an explanation, and he knew that Draco deserved the right to five that explanation. Draco had said that he had come back, to explain. However, by leaving, Harry had denied him that chance.

Harry got dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt in a navy blue, and went downstairs where Kreacher greeted him with fresh tea and toast. “Good Morning Master Harry.”

“Good morning Kreacher, just so you know I am likely going to be out for most of the afternoon, and I will grab something to eat while I am out, so cooking dinner will be unnecessary for me. But feel free to help yourself to whatever. I just want you to rest today, you deserve the day to spend as you like.”

“Thank you, Master Harry. Would Master mind if I went over to Master’s friend’s house and see if Mrs. Molly has any need for help. That is where Kreacher spends a lot of time while Master is out traveling.”

“Oh Kreacher, I didn’t even to think that you might be lonely here by yourself while I am away. Yes, you are welcome to go where you would like. I am sure that Molly would love the help, and even someone to knit with her. I am sorry Kreacher, I should have thought of that much sooner than now,” said Harry ashamed of his insensitivity towards the elf.

Harry looked at the time, before deciding that he should head out to meet with the Malfoys and Tonks. He apparated into a secluded part of Hyde Park, before making his way down Exhibition Road towards the Science Museum. When he arrived at the outside of the Museum he leaned casually against the building’s exterior, waiting for the others. Harry was early so he wasn’t worried, plus there was the matter that the adults would have had to rally the two children to be ready and on time. After experiencing Ron and Hermione’s whirlwind entrances to family functions, with their two children in tow, but usually either right on time or late. Hermione, even with all of her timed planning down to the minute, couldn’t deny that having children made being early to events was certainly a harder task than many would believe.

_Flashback_

_It was the morning after they had first admitted their feelings to each other over their day off and preparation of dinner. Harry woke up, warmer than what he was used to, and with a face full of white blonde hair. An arm swung over a body that was putting out an obscene amount of body heat. Without thought Harry leaned forward and placed a soft kiss to the base of Draco’s neck, where his spine met his hair. The movement must have been enough to cause Draco to stir, because he rolled over to face Harry. Smiling Draco said, “good morning.”_

_“Morning,” replied Harry, leaning over to capture Draco’s lips._

_Draco hummed, but pulled away after just a quick peck. “As much as I would love to snog you senseless, I need to use the restroom, and brush my teeth. I have morning breath and its honestly too early to subject you to my morning breath.”_

_“Fine, but when we both have finished, we are going to come back in here and continue this, I may even insist on us to stay in bed all day,” replied Harry._

_“I mean, who am I to argue with you? After all, we don’t have to be back to the dig sight until Monday.”_

_“Right you are. I am just going to head in to the bathroom to get my stuff done really quick, then go make us some coffee.”_

_“Great. See you back here in a few.”_

_They both went into the bathroom taking turns at the sink, and the toilet. Then Harry headed into the kitchen and started the kettle, as well as a couple of English muffins into the toaster oven and added freshly ground coffee beans to his coffee press. Having already known how Draco preferred his coffee, just a teaspoon of sugar, Harry got the dish sugar off the counter and put it on the tray with two coffee cups and added a small amount of milk to his cup, before putting the milk back into the cold cabinet and grabbed clotted cream and marmalade. The kettle started to whistle, which Harry grabbed off the stove, flicking the burner off, and poured the hot water into the coffee press’s glass pitcher and placed the lid and plunder mechanism onto the top. Picking up the tray and grabbed the muffins from the toaster._

_“Its nothing fancy, but its Mrs. Weasley’s homemade marmalade and clotted cream so that is bound to be good, and I made the English muffins, since they’re not the easiest thing to find,” said Harry as he walked into the bedroom. Placing the tray onto the chest that sat into front of his bed. Sitting onto the end of the bed beside of Draco. “You sure about this?”_

_“Yeah, I’m sure,” said Draco, placing a quick kiss on Harry’s lips before asking, “so how long before coffee?”_

_“Just a couple of minutes.”_

Snapping out of his reverie, Harry saw the flash of blonde through the crowd of families making their way down the street and in and out of the museum, Harry straightened up and walked the few feet over to the entrance.

“Harry!” came the screamed greeting from his godson.

“Hey, Kiddo,” said Harry, while ruffling Teddy’s hair.

“I’m so happy that you came with us.”

“Me too. It’ll be a lot of fun,” said Harry with a smile. Harry looked up at the others that had joined them. “Hello, Scorpius, Narcissa. Hi Andy. Draco.”

There was a collection of various greetings from the rest of the group, as they walked into the large stone structure. They made their way through the museum, having fun with all of the different things for the kids to do. Between playing with the different hands on exhibits and the science demonstrations they were busy from one thing to another until they had to stop, to get lunch, the large group, walked up Exhibition Road to the Natural History Museum that also hosted a café where they could stop and eat lunch. They grabbed an ordered they food and drink before grabbing a table in the busy seating area. With the sisters next to each other and the boys taking the other two seats at the four-seater table. Which cause Draco and Harry to awkwardly take the table next to them. Harry opened his sandwich without comment, despite Draco looking across the table at him.

“Can we please talk,” asked Draco.

“Do you really think that this is the best place to have this conversation?” mumbled Harry, taking too much interest in his turkey sandwich.

“Well if we don’t have it now, when would be a good time for you Harry?” said Draco, who ran a hand through his hair with frustration. “Every time I try to talk you avoid me by running away. We are in the same place that we were in five years ago. I came back to Egypt after I saw the announcement that my father put in the paper without my knowledge. I was going to try to explain and then go back and call the whole thing off. I realized that I was wrong to have kept it from you. I was coming back, I also realized that I didn’t care if my parents had disowned me, even though I doubt they would have first thing is that mother would have murdered father, and I am the only heir. My point is Harry, I was coming back, then I realized you were gone and I couldn’t figure out where, and no matter who I asked no one would tell me where you went. So, I just resigned myself to what was to come, I married Astoria and we had Scorp. We went to a muggle doctor, that specialized in fertility and she was artificially inseminated.”

“Why would you go to a muggle doctor?” asked Harry.

“Well partially for the anonymity, but Astoria suffered from a blood curse, that is what ultimately killed her. The other part of it was that we never actually consummated our marriage. Before I could marry her, I told Astoria everything. I told her about our relationship, our time spent in Egypt. I told her everything, I apologized to her. In the end though, she understood. She knew that my heart wasn’t hers. However, she reassured me that she was being just as selfish. She said that she wanted to have a child. She knew that her chances of reaching 40 were slim. And she wanted a child to pass some of her legacy on, even if she wouldn’t be able to be there for it. She was amazing, even though I didn’t love her as I should have, as I love you, she was my best friend. She probably knew me better than even Blaise. Maybe not you.”

Harry looked down at his half-eaten sandwich, not feeling hungry anymore. “I should apologize for not trusting you enough, for just running off, multiple times in fact. I was a right coward, and it wasn’t very Gryffindor like. I saw that announcement in the Prophet, and I just couldn’t be there anymore. I went to Jones, and asked for a transfer, a different dig site, anything, as far away as possible. I ended up in Peru. I told Jones and the rest of the guys that if you came looking for me that I didn’t want you following me. I owled Ron and Hermione and told them what I was doing and where I was going. They had owled as soon as they saw the paper and were concerned. I just ran, and your mother and Andromeda are right I have been running ever since. I have avoided relationships, and anything to do with them.”

“You really shouldn’t have to apologize, I knew what was happening, I should have told you and trusted you with what was happening,” said Draco.

“Maybe, but Lucius Malfoy has never been a man that you say no to. Let alone tell him to buzz off and let you live your life. I remember how angry he was when I tricked him into freeing Dobby in our second year.”

“He never did tell me what happened,” said Draco trailing off, while looking at Harry across the table. “Would you ever let me take you out again, or even consider being friends with me again?”

“Being your friend hasn’t ever been the problem, well at least since Egypt, its been being around you hurt to even think about. Knowing that I couldn’t have you anymore, not all of you. I had though that you were gone. And then when I heard about Astoria, I didn’t think it would be okay to just show up unannounced while you and Scorpius were mourning her. Then time just ran away from me. I ran and ran, taking job after job, and buried myself in my work. It worked for me at the time. I am sorry that you lost her. I am sorry that I didn’t let you explain yourself. I am also sorry that I didn’t trust you, that I thought the worst of you, thinking that you could do that, abandon me like that. I guess I have always been afraid of being abandoned. My parents died, Sirius died, Remus, Tonks, Ron left Hermione and I in the middle of the fucking forest while we were searching for the Horcruxes. For a long while, I just saw myself as someone that got left. Those were things that I had to work out for myself.”

“Harry, I would love to try again. I know that we can’t start where we left off, its been to long, and our lives are so different than they were in Egypt. I have Scorpius, and that makes me a package deal now. I also know that you are supposed to being going to Central America on that exhibition, but I would like to try. We could even start out as friends like before, take it slow. All I know is that I still love you, and I want to be with you again,” said Draco, who was wildly gesturing with his hands.

“Draco, you and I both know that you are not known for your patience. And if we are going to do this, we may as well do it proper and in full. We can start off as dating, and we will take it slow. I need to get to know not only you again, but also Scorpius. If I am going to be in his life, I need to know him. However, I do believe that it would be better to wait to tell him a bit, I also do want to take this slowly. We go out, we spend time together, but for now I would rather take sex slowly. We didn’t exactly do that the last time.”

“Okay, I can deal with that, and you’re right, you do need to know Scorpius. He is my son and I love him,” replied Draco. “When should we go out first? I should also think that it might be pertinent that we make any outings we have for the near and foreseeable future to be in the muggle world, and maybe international. You have been out of the public eye for so long that I can’t imagine that their fascination of you has lessened any over the years.”

“Hmm, you’re probably right. Wait, what do you mean international?”

“Harry, we’re wizards, we could go to Paris, Rome, or Madrid in a matter of a seconds. That could be beneficial. You loved Paris when we went.”

“Well yes, but how about we start with dinner at my house tomorrow? I’ll cook and we can just talk. Catch up if you will. Let’s start with that before we decide to take weekend international getaways,” chuckled Harry.

“That’s fair, what time?”

“6:30 or 7?”

“6:30 is fine gives me time to get Scorp settled at home and with my mother,” replied Draco, who looked around, realizing that their companions had left them behind. “It appears that we have been left.”

Harry looked up surprised to find that Draco was right, “How did we completely miss that?”

Looking at his watch Draco said, “well we have been sitting here for almost an hour and a half. The boys probably got bored waiting for us to finish, and Andy and my mother didn’t want to interrupt us, since they have been scheming to get us to talk for weeks.”

“That is very true.”

Harry and Draco got up and threw away their trash and made their way to the exhibits, taking their time walking around. They didn’t really have the need to rush, knowing that Andromeda and Narcissa had the boys well in hand. They got through the museum by 4 pm and made their way to Hyde Park, where they decided to apparate back to Harry’s house, Harry having to hold onto Draco, before showing him the slip of paper that the address was written on, revealing the house as it emerged between numbers 11 and 13. Opening the door Harry called out for Kreacher, asking for tea. Harry led them into the living room where they sat on opposite ends of the couch turned slightly so they were looking at each other.

“So how are we going to do this?” asked Draco.

Harry contemplated for a moment, “I know that we are not going to be able to do as we did before, we live very different lives now, especially you with Scorpius, but I have thought about making a semblance of a semi-permanent move back to England. I haven’t been home all that much, and Ron and Hermione’s children are getting older, and I feel I haven’t been the best god parent to them. Being gone all this time, has kept me from really bonding with them. They know me as the wayward uncle that comes home only two or three times a year. Like Charlie Weasley, the forever bachelor that lives for their work, and like Bill before he met Fleur. Even Fred is starting to think about settling down.”

“Yeah Blaise mentioned that Fred finally plucked up the courage to owl him and ask for a proper date, instead of their pointed “run ins” that Blaise kept arranging,” chuckled Draco. “He’s been mad about Weasley for years, noticed him all the way back at Hogwarts.”

“Really? I didn’t even know that he was gay.”

“Well, I don’t know if you really can label Blaise, he probably wouldn’t appreciate it. The thing with Blaise is that he loves the finer things in life. He also is attracted to those who he thinks are beautiful, and that doesn’t exclude those who he sees as beautiful on the inside too. He’s kind of a romantic like that. He has ideals that people should follow. Probably from his sketchy upbringing. His mother was someone who looked at her husbands as a means as an end. They were someone to raise her status in society through station and wealth. Which is probably why she never sought to follow Voldemort and Death Eaters, she saw them as just lowly thugs, and didn’t really involve herself with the politics of it all, thus keeping Blaise out of it. She knew the realities that there were muggles out there that had even more money and power than even the most influential of wizarding families, why should the fact that they can’t preform magic effect the way that they make their wealth or control and run a country? I mean looking back on it, she had a point. Alas, hindsight is 20/20 isn’t it?” explained Draco.

“So, her political and personal views didn’t bother your parents when you were associating with him,” asked Harry.

“I mean Father was never very fond of Zuri, he thought that she was unrealistic and flippant, more concerned to her wealth and status, than following the cause to maintain the purity of our society. He saw her just as another society wife. My mother I think respected her at least, for allowing Blaise to make his own decisions in his beliefs. I know sometimes she wishes that she could’ve given me that choice. But Father was the head of the house, what he said was law, there wasn’t to be any deviation from his quote, unquote grand plan to keep the Malfoy name where it stood within society. Well lot of good that did him. He lost society’s respect, the Malfoy name is in the dumps, and he died leaving Scorpius and I to clean up his and his own father’s mess.”

“Hey, you have turned out pretty damn great, despite Lucius and Abraxas Malfoy, and Scorpius is amazing, and so lucky to have you as a dad,” said Harry as he reached across the couch in an effort to comfort the other man.

“I know, but sometimes it is really hard for me to not be bitter about them and what they forced our family into.”

Suddenly an Abraxan Horse patronus broke through the wall of the living room, and stopped in front of Harry and Draco, and Andromeda’s voice rang through the room. “We have the boys and are going go back to my house, we have eaten dinner, and will keep the boys.”

Draco looked at Harry, “I should go get Scorpius and take him home. He is probably exhausted from the excitement of today.”

They both stood up, “I will send you an owl, and we can arrange a first outing. We could even take Scorpius if you want,” said Harry.

“While that is sweet, I think the first couple of dates, I would rather it be just us, I know there are still some things that we need to take care of before we involve him. I also would like to let him get to know you better, so it might be smart if we just have time with everyone and let him get used to you being around. I am not even sure what to tell him at this point that he will understand what is happening, I haven’t actually been in a proper relationship since you. Astoria and I weren’t really a true couple and Scorpius never got to meet him.”

“I understand, I will still owl you,” Harry reached out and hugged the other man, reveling in the feel of him again. “I have missed you; I know my hostility hasn’t really shown it but I did, every day. You can use my floo.”

“Thanks,” said Draco sniffling, and pulling away. He looked at Harry one last time before reaching onto the mantle and took a handful of the powder out of the pot, stepping into the fireplace and threw the powder, waved his other hand at Harry, and called out the Tonks’ address.


End file.
